Tasting & Evaluating Wine

Question 1

The vast majority of wines can be described as _______________.

Answer 1

Clear

Question 2

Wines with an unusually high amount of suspended particles can be described as _______________.

Answer 2

Hazy

Question 3

Haziness may indicate a _______________ in the wine or that the wine has not been _______________.

Answer 3

Fault; clarified

Question 4

Intensity is how much _______________ the wine has.

Answer 4

Colour

Question 5

A white wine that has a broad watery rim should be described as _______________; if the pigment reaches almost to the rim it should be described as _______________.

Answer 5

Pale; deep

Question 6

If a red wine is lightly pigmented from the rim to the core, it can be described as _______________.

Answer 6

Pale

Question 7

If a red wine is intensely pigmented right up to the rim, it should be described as _______________.

Answer 7

Deep

Question 8

Regarding color, white wines can be placed on a scale that runs from _______________ to _______________.

Answer 8

Lemon-green; brown

Question 9

The most common color of white wines is _______________.

Answer 9

Lemon

Question 10

If there is a hint of orange or brown in a white wine, the wine is _______________.

Answer 10

Gold

Question 11

Wines with a noticeable level of browning could be described as _______________ or _______________.

Answer 11

Amber; brown

Question 12

Red wines can be placed on a color scale that runs from _______________ to _______________.

Answer 12

Purple; brown

Question 13

The most common color of red wine is _______________.

Answer 13

Ruby

Question 14

Wines with a noticeable blue or purple color are described as _______________.

Answer 14

Purple

Question 15

If the red wine has noticeable orange or brown color but still more red than brown, it is described as _______________.

Answer 15

Garnet

Question 16

If the wine is more brown than red, it may be described as _______________.

Answer 16

Tawny

Question 17

The color of rose wines can be described as _______________, _______________, or _______________.

Answer 17

Pink; pink-orange; orange

Question 18

Regarding the condition of the wine, the first thing to note is whether it is showing any _______________.

Answer 18

Faults

Question 19

If the aromas are immediately apparent when you insert your nose into the glass, they are ______________.

Answer 19

Pronounced

Question 20

If even after swirling the wine, the aromas are faint and hard to detect, the intensity is _______________.

Answer 20

Light

Question 21

For wines with aromas that are neither pronounced or light, the intensity is described as _______________.

Answer 21

Medium

Question 22

Aroma characteristics are classified as _______________, _______________, and _______________.

Answer 22

Primary; secondary; tertiary

Question 23

Primary aromas come from the _______________ or are created during the _______________ process.

Answer 23

Grapes; fermentation

Question 24

Secondary aromas are created by _______________ winemaking.

Answer 24

Post-fermentation

Question 25

Secondary aromas include those extracted from _______________, such as vanilla and smoke.

Answer 25

Oak

Question 26

Secondary aromas of cream and butter are the result of _______________.

Answer 26

Malolactic fermentation

Question 27

Tertiary aromas have their origin in the _______________.

Answer 27

Ageing processes

Question 28

Examples of tertiary aromas include those caused by long periods in _______________ or _______________.

Answer 28

Oak; in-bottle

Question 29

A wine that has no sugar or has levels too low to detect by the tongue is considered a _______________ wine.

Answer 29

Dry

Question 30

If the wine has a small amount of detectable sugar, it is described as _______________.

Answer 30

Off-dry

Question 31

Wines with a distinct presence of sugar are rated as _______________.

Answer 31

Medium sweet

Question 32

If sugar is the prominent feature of the wine it is classified as _______________.

Answer 32

Sweet

Question 32

Acid is detected on the _______________.

Answer 32

Tongue

Question 32

What effect does acid have on the mouth?

Answer 32

It causes a tingling sensation and makes your mouth water.

Question 32

High levels of sugar and acid can mask each other. TRUE or FALSE

Answer 32

True

Question 33

What wine component creates a burning sensation that feels similar to acid?

Answer 33

Alcohol

Question 34

What is the effect of tannins on the palate?

Answer 34

Tannins bind your saliva and cause your mouth to dry up and feel rough. May also have a bitter taste that lingers in the back of your mouth.

Question 35

Within the WSET programs, what does SAT refer to?

Answer 35

The systematic approach to tasting wine.

Question 36

What wine component contributes to the body of the wine: heavier or a bit watery depending on level?

Answer 36

Alcohol

Question 37

At high levels, what sensation does alcohol deliver?

Answer 37

Hot, burning sensation

Question 38

Using the SAT methodology, what are the three alcohol levels?

Answer 38

Low: below 11% abv
Medium: 11 - 13.9% abv
High: 14% abv and above

Question 39

Using the SAT methodology, what are the three alcohol levels for fortified wines?

Answer 39

Low: below 15 - 16.4% abv
Medium: 16.5 - 18.4% abv
High: 18.5% abv and above

Question 40

Body is an overall impression of how the wine feels in the mouth. It is created by four structural components which are _______________.

Answer 40

Sugar, acidity, tannin and alcohol

Question 41

For most wines, what is the main factor contributing to body?

Answer 41

Alcohol

Question 42

Generally, a wine will have the same _______________ intensity as _______________ intensity.

Answer 42

Flavour; aroma

Question 43

Generally, _______________ on the palate should be the same as ____________ detected on the nose.

Answer 43

Flavours; aromas

Question 44

The _______________ is the collection of sensations after you have swallowed or spat the wine out.

Answer 44

Finish

Question 45

The finish can be described as _______________ or _______________.

Answer 45

Short; long

Question 46

Name four criteria that are used in assessing the quality of a wine.

Answer 46

Balance; length/finish; intensity; and complexity

Question 47

Balance can be thought of as the interaction of the various elements of the wine. Some example include:

Answer 47

Sugar balanced by acidity; alcohol balanced by fruit flavour intensity

Question 48

Wine with a short finish are generally considered high quality. TRUE or FALSE

Answer 48

False

Question 49

When discussing quality some people refer to a wine’s intensity as its ______________.

Answer 49

Concentration

Question 50

Using the four criteria, an outstanding wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.

Answer 50

Four

Question 51

Using the four criteria, a very good wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.

Answer 51

Three

Question 52

Using the four criteria, a good wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.

Answer 52

Two

Question 53

Using the four criteria, an acceptable wine would show positively for _______________ criteria.

Answer 53

One

Question 54

Using the four criteria, a wine that shows negatively for all four criteria would be judged to be _______________.

Answer 54

Poor